Kris Litman-Koon, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Warm-up Question

Have you ever read an interesting autobiography? What made this person’s life unique?

The Winterkeeper

At the dawn of 2018, the Mountain Journal online magazine introduced a year-long series written by a man named Steven Fuller, who is a “winterkeeper” at Yellowstone National Park. During the warm months, winterkeepers do general upkeep for the park’s buildings that are used by the thousands of summer tourists. During the cold months, each winterkeeper lives in complete solitude while ensuring those same buildings don’t collapse under the weight of snow. The winterkeepers may need to trek miles between the buildings they are tasked to maintain.

It is treacherous and dangerous work; mistakes can be deadly because no help is available. Wilderness survival skills are a must. Because it is such a solitary and demanding job, most winterkeepers last for a season or two. Steven Fuller, however, has 45 years as a winterkeeper under his belt. This is the longest tenure in the park’s history. These decades have allowed Fuller to grow intimately close to the ecosystem where he stewards, and the solitude has allowed him to ponder the great questions of life.

The Mountain Journal has asked Fuller to share his thoughts and photographs with its readers over the course of 2018. The series of journal entries is titled A Life in Wonderland, and thus far it has included accounts of bison meandering onto his front porch and ruminations on the geological beauty of Hayden Valley. Although more is to come in this year-long encounter with Fuller, the reader can tell already that his words and worldview have been shaped by the wild places around him, much like Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, and Rachel Carson before him. It is exciting to know that more of Fuller’s writings are to come and that his life’s work is ongoing.

Discussion Questions

• What aspects of the winterkeeper’s job are appealing? Frightening?
• Is there a place of natural wonder that is special to you?
• How would the experience of reading Fuller’s words be different if it were read at once instead of reading it as it plays out over time?

Transfiguration of Our Lord

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

The lesson today is the story of the transfiguration of Jesus, found at the middle of Mark’s gospel narrative. Jesus is joined by the disciples Peter, James, and John on top of a mountain when his clothes become a dazzling white and he is joined by Moses and Elijah. The disciples don’t know what to make of this. Verse 6 says that Peter’s offer to make three dwellings was spoken from a sense of terror. The transfiguration concludes when a cloud surrounds them and a voice says, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”

Once before this, a voice spoke similar words. At the beginning of Mark’s gospel, a voice from heaven said at Jesus’ baptism, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11) Notice that Mark implies that only Jesus heard the voice that declared him to be the Son of God. Why did the voice not tell others that Jesus is the Son of God? Later at Jesus’ transfiguration, three disciples hear the declaration that Jesus is God’s Son, yet at the end of this story Jesus orders them to tell no one else until after he has risen from the dead. (Mark 9:9) Why should they wait to tell others that Jesus is the Son of God? Finally, near the end of Mark’s gospel, we read of the death of Jesus. He gave a loud cry and breathed his last breath, and at this moment a Roman centurion said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” (Mark 15:39)

There is a progression in Mark’s gospel. It is a progression of the growing number of people who hear the declaration that Jesus is God’s Son. First only Jesus hears the proclamation at the Jordan River, then at the transfiguration of Jesus only a few disciples hear this, and finally it takes the crucifixion for someone other than the divine voice to declare openly that Jesus is God’s Son.

Mark’s gospel is also a progression in the sense that we must wait for the true nature of the Son of God to be fully revealed. Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration begin to reveal it to us. However, the baptism is only the beginning of the story and the transfiguration is only the middle of it. As the voice on the mountain said, we must continue to “listen to him” after this event, for his story continues. As glorious as Jesus may have looked on that mountain, we must not think that the Son’s true nature is fully revealed at his transfiguration. Ultimately, Mark’s progression informs us that if we desire to see the true nature of God’s Son, then we must look not only at his baptism, nor only at his transfiguration. That full revealing of the Son’s true nature must include the cross.

Discussion Questions

• Why might Jesus want the disciples to keep his true identity quiet?
• The third proclamation in Mark that Jesus is God’s Son was not made by a heavenly voice, rather it was declared by a human voice upon seeing Jesus die on the cross. What significance might that detail carry?
• On the mountain, the disciples are told to listen to Jesus. How do you and I listen to him? What role do the gospel stories play in shaping how we listen to him?

Activity Suggestions

At the Transfiguration, the disciples are reminded that this event wasn’t the end of the story; more was to come and they needed to continue to listen to Jesus. A fun activity about a story’s continuation and about our listening skills is called The Team Story Game. To play this game, work with teams between three and eight people.

One person starts a story with a sentence that begins with “Once upon a time…” Then the next person says one sentence that continues the story. This practice continues through the whole team. Small teams might want to agree to two or three rounds before the story concludes, and larger teams might decide to wrap up the story after each person has contributed only once. Rotate who begins each new story.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, you led Jesus and his companions up the mountain for his transfiguration, and there you commanded the companions to listen to him. Open our ears and our hearts to listen to him always, and may we be attentive to the cross as we prepare to embark on our Lenten journey. Amen.

Brian Hiortdahl, Overland Park, KS

 Warm-up Question

What is the one thing you have received that changed your life the most?

New and Amazing

Allan Peterson will soon receive the Argus Two, a bionic eye.  Currently blind from retinitis pigmentosa, Allan will become the eighth person to have this breakthrough technology which he explains will allow him to experience “a new way of seeing.”  His vision will not be the way it was before he began losing it 25 years ago, but this revolutionary surgery offers possibilities which would have been unimaginable until recently. A camera on a pair of glasses sends video to a computer chip.  Signals are then transmitted to a retinal implant.  When the retina is stimulated, the signal is carried by the optic nerve to the brain and the patient “sees.” Peterson says he looks forward to seeing his grandchildren, rather than just hearing them.

Discussion Questions

• What have you lost in life that you wish you had back?
• What blessings and abilities do you have that you take for granted?
• Can you think of a time when you learned something new that was like a bionic eye—something that made you see the world in a completely new way?

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

This passage builds on the story immediately before it (see last week’s Faith Lens) in which Jesus expels a demon from a man in the synagogue on the Sabbath.  The crowd marvels in amazement:  “A new teaching—with authority!”  In the biblical world’s hierarchy, Jesus demonstrates that his cosmic power and status (“authority”) are higher than that of demons, which are known to be higher than that of human beings.

Next he moves to Simon’s house, and cures his mother-in-law’s fever.  He thus restores her to her place of honor in the household as the chief hospitality authority, just as he restored the honor and social standing of the man in the synagogue.  Read together, these stories reveal that Jesus heals in public and in private; a man and a woman; supernatural and natural illness.  The kingdom of God that he proclaims is for everyone, as the next scenes illustrate.  After the whole town crowded around him at sundown, Jesus tells his disciples that God is sending them to other towns too, beyond the edges of the little world they currently see.

Notice that it is before sundown that Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law—a second healing on the Sabbath.  This will soon get Jesus in trouble.  It is one of many religious rules he breaks:  working on Sabbath, touching a woman he does not know, touching the unclean, engaging Gentiles and tax collectors and demoniacs and other “sinners” assumed to be beyond the edges of God’s favor.

Jesus’ behavior suggests that the God no one can see cares more about people’s wellbeing than about their social position or obedience to religious rules.  This is completely revolutionary.  This is a brand new breakthrough.  This is cutting edge, space age religion and lifestyle.  This is a whole new way of seeing.

Discussion Questions

• In what ways does the church of Jesus showcase the amazing kingdom he announces and demonstrates in his words and deeds?  How does the church obscure or hide it?
• What about Jesus excites you?  What about him scares you?
• Who are the people we don’t see?
• Who are the people who need their dignity and social standing restored?  What we can do in Jesus’ name to help and heal them?

Activity Suggestions

• Begin your study with participants blindfolded.  (Please be nice—don’t rearrange the furniture!)  How does that change the experience?  What is it like being in the world without sight?
• Learn about the health ministry in your congregation or another church, or interview a medical professional.  What inspires them in their work?  What frustrates them?  How do they understand the stories of Jesus’ healings?
• Organize a blood drive or a collection of eyeglasses for those in need.  Intentionally reach out to include the wider community.

Closing Prayer

Open our eyes, Lord God, to see your amazing kingdom at work near us, and open our hands and hearts to join Jesus in spreading your healing love to all the world.  Amen

David Dodson, Ft. Walton Beach, FL

Warm-up Question

What traditions does your family practice on a regular basis?

Tradition!

Hear ye, hear ye! The date has been set for the royal wedding between Prince Harry of the United Kingdom and his fiancé, Meghan Markle!  Many of you may already be aware of the upcoming royal marriage of Prince Harry, the younger brother of Prince William and grandson of the Queen of England, Elizabeth II.  And if you are an aficionado of news about the British royalty, you might be aware that there are a few unique things about this upcoming wedding.

First of all, Harry’s bride-to-be isn’t a British citizen.  Meghan Markle is an American actress and humanitarian.  But this isn’t the only non-traditional aspect of the upcoming nuptials. The happy couple will be married on May 19^th – a Saturday.  This is, believe it or not, a significant break from tradition.  For decades, royal weddings have taken place on a weekday.  The day is typically declared a bank holiday, and many British citizens are given the day off to celebrate the wedding.  With the wedding taking place on a Saturday, this may not be the case this time.

Another break with tradition came this past Christmas.  Normally, the royal family celebrates at the Queen’s private residence at Sandringham House in Norfolk.  Traditionally, only members of royal families and their spouses are invited; fiancés are not.  This time, however, Prince Harry asked for and received the Queen’s permission to bring Miss Markle to the family holiday.

It’s likely, though, that several traditions about royal weddings will stay intact this year.  One of those traditions includes the wedding rings to be created for the couple.  Since 1923, members of the British royal family have all had their wedding rings made from the gold of the Clogau St. David gold mine in Wales.  It’s a particularly rare gold, especially now that the mine is closed, but the royal family has enough gold to make the rings for the upcoming wedding.  In just a few months, Prince Harry might slip onto his new bride’s finger a ring made of the same gold that graced the finger of his mother, his grandmother, and his great-grandmother.

Discussion Questions

• What is special about traditions that your family observes?
• In the story above, what are your thoughts about the breaks from tradition?
• Would you like a traditional wedding if and when you get married, or would you prefer something non-traditional?

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

This week’s reading from Mark tells the dramatic story of a possessed man shouting out in the synagogue as Jesus taught, followed by the exorcism of this “unclean spirit” by Jesus.  That story, though, only highlights the real recurring theme of the passage: the authority of Jesus as something “new”.

Twice in this passage, the people of Capernaum marvel to one another that Jesus is offering “a new teaching” which is taught “with authority”.  That isn’t particularly surprising, of course.  We know that Jesus is teaching with the authority of God, after all.  But it might be surprising if we look a little bit deeper.  In verse 22, the people note that Jesus “taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes”.

Now that is strange indeed!  The term “scribes” refers to a specific and very powerful group in Jewish society.  The scribes were a group who intensely studied the Hebrew scriptures and other writings.  They were experts in the law, and their services were used to prepare all sorts of legal documents – from marriage contracts to mortgages.  The scribes were also some of the most influential interpreters of Jewish law, and some well-known scribes even had their own disciples!  Scribes often formed a core of the Jewish council.  It’s possible, then, that the scribes exercised more power than even the Pharisees.  Why, then, do the people say that when Jesus teaches with authority, he does so in a way unlike the scribes?

To a first-century Jew, like the author of today’s Gospel, it would make no sense to claim that the scribes lacked authority.  It would, however, be perfectly correct to say that Jesus displayed a very different form of authority.

The power of the scribes was based on their ability to interpret and apply Mosaic Law.  Scribes were experts in the law that had been handed down for generations of Judaism.  The scribes considered themselves guardians of the laws that God laid down after rescuing his people from Egypt and promising them a land and a nation.  In this way, the scribes operated under the authority of God.    What made Jesus stand out was simple: He spoke and acted with an authority that belonged to him.  He spoke as God himself, not merely as an interpreter of the Law.

Certainly, this would have been shocking!  It also affected different people in different ways.  Some were prepared to recognize God in these new words and this new voice.  They responded to the teachings of Jesus and were receptive to his words.  Others, however, were appalled at the break from the traditional authority of the scribes.  To them, it didn’t matter what Jesus had to say.  They would not have accepted his authority.  They let their traditions become more important than God’s good news.

Discussion Questions

• What traditions are important in your youth group and in your church?
• How can we tell the difference between a tradition that makes us more receptive to God’s word and a tradition that distracts us from God’s word?
• Is it possible for a good, meaningful tradition to turn into a distracting tradition?

Activity Suggestions

Write a “travel guide” for a visitor to your church, helping them understand the traditions and practices of your church.  Assume this visitor had never attended a Christian church service before.  Could you prepare a brochure to help them understand what to expect?

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your guidance and your loving care in all that we do.  Thank you especially for your Word, given to us through your Son Jesus.  Help us always to recognize those words and deeds that help us grow in our faith, and teach us to find new ways to grow in our love for you and for one another.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Jocelyn Breeland, Sunnyvale, CA

 Warm-up Question

Would it bother you if there was no more chocolate?

A World Without Chocolate?

Business Insider alarmed chocolate lovers around the globe recently with a New Year’s Eve story claiming chocolate would become extinct on earth by the year 2050. The claim was based on a 2016 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a 2014 report of the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It suggested that climate change would result in increased temperatures in cacao growing regions, making them unsuitable for the plants necessary for chocolate production.

Much of the Business Insider story focused on research, a collaboration of Mars, Inc. (producer of Snickers, M&Ms and other chocolate candies) and the University of California, Berkeley, to genetically modify cacao to thrive in the new climate conditions.

Many news outlets repeated the story, causing panic among chocolate lovers worldwide. However, subsequent articles in a number of other outlets have taken the edge off the alarm caused by the original report. They point out that, although climate change may make it harder to grow cacao in Ghana and Ivory Coast, where more than half the world’s chocolate originates, there are other regions in the world capable of growing the plants. Some point out that a scientific finding of extinction means there have been no sightings of the plant for at least 50 years. That won’t happen for a while, perhaps not in our lifetimes.

So perhaps, while there is cause for serious concern – and need for action to avoid disaster – you will likely still be able to find Snickers bars for some time to come.

Discussion Questions

• How concerned are you about the affects of climate change on crops like chocolate?
• Think about all the people who work to bring chocolate to your local store. How would the absence of chocolate affect their lives?
• Does the fact that the original article was published by an outlet that focuses on business, and that it devotes most of the story to the actions of Mars, Inc., affect how you think about it?
• What can you do to improve chocolate’s chances of survival? What does God call us to do as stewards of this planet?
• Does being called as a disciple of Jesus make any difference in how you reads this article and how you might respond?

Third Sunday of Epiphany

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Mark 1:14-20

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

Jesus’ choice of disciples was a very important one. These were the men he relied on to support him and his ministry. And after his ascension, they were the essential apostles, spreading the good news of the gospel, sharing his teachings and establishing Christian communities far beyond Galilee.

Given all this, it is a little surprising how spontaneously Jesus apparently calls Simon, Andrew, James and John. In our modern understanding, recruitment involves a carefully crafted advertisement and often multiple rounds of interviews and testing to ensure the best candidate is identified. Applicants today are also advised to do their research to make sure they understand their prospective employers’ expectations, that they’re being offered a reasonable career promotion and salary, and that they will be compatible with the organization’s culture.

What qualification did these fishermen, struggling daily to make a living, have to offer? And how did Jesus convince them to leave what was familiar to them and do something that had never been done before?

Mark’s focus on Jesus’ simple call and the disciples’ immediate, unquestioning response invites us to consider two important realities of our own relationships with Christ. First, when he calls us to ministry, he already knows that we are uniquely qualified to fulfill his plan. Second, when we hear God’s call, we can step forward confidently in faith, knowing that – even if we don’t fully understand his vision – he has invited us to experience the glory of serving him.

Discussion Questions

• Based on your understanding of the New Testament, what were the disciples’ qualifications for their roles?
• Was there anything they could have done earlier in their lives to prepare them for their ministry?
• What are some of the questions and doubts in your mind when you try to discern God’s purpose in your life?
• How can your community – your friends and family, your school and church – help or hinder your ability to hear and answer God’s call?

Activity Suggestions

Working individually or in small groups, create an ad for the job of disciple, then share it with the group. (For inspiration, think of any job ads you may have seen – for the Army, for McDonald’s, any employer.)

For a television ad, write a script and act it out. For a radio ad, write and then read the ad like a radio announcer. For a newspaper or magazine ad, write the copy, ad images if necessary, and present the layout. Typical radio and television ads are 30 seconds. For newspaper or magazine, imagine you are creating a full-page ad.

Each ad should answer these questions:

• What is the organization’s mission?
• What are the job duties?
• What are the benefits?
• What type of person should apply?

As each group makes its presentation, discuss which aspects of their ads are most compelling? Is this a job you would apply for?

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for the many blessings and gifts you have given each of us. Give us ears to hear your call, and hearts for service to do your will. We are here, Lord, we are listening, and we are ready to say, “Yes!” Amen.

Dennis Sepper, Burnsville, MN

Warm-up Question

Can you name one famous person (or more) who came from your hometown?

From Small Beginnings Come Great Things

Can anything good come out of Swartekill, New York?  That was the birthplace of Isabella Baumfree who became known as Sojourner Truth.  Sojourner Truth was sold into slavery at the age of nine for $100, which included a flock of sheep.  Later she escaped with her infant daughter and went on to be a prominent abolitionist and an advocate for women’s rights.

Can anything good come out of Hodgenville, Kentucky?  On February 12, 1809 Abraham Lincoln was born there.  Abraham’s father was a determined pioneer who worked the land.  The family was forced to move several times eventually ending up in Illinois.  Lincoln was elected to the state government of Illinois and then as the 16^th President of the United States.  President Lincoln is best known for the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves in the north and for his Gettysburg Address where he declared that the United States was “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Can anything good come out of Tuskegee, Alabama?  Rosa Parks was born there in 1913.  One day, weary from work, Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery Alabama bus.  Rosa Parks was arrested and her act of defiance sparked the Montgomery bus boycott.  Participating in that boycott was a preacher by the name of Martin Luther King Jr whose day we celebrate this weekend and Monday, January 15^th.

So often our perceptions and geographical prejudices can make us believe that nothing good can come out of certain towns, regions of our country or the world.  However, there are hundreds upon hundreds of examples of people being called by God to change society and the world.  The vast majority of them come from places we’ve never heard of or believe to be a place which could not produce a world changing personality.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever underestimated the abilities of someone because of where they were born or based on what their parent did for a living?  Why do you think that happens?
• Have you ever experienced someone underestimating you because of where you are from, or what high school you attend, or what your parents do for a living?  How did that make you feel?
• What can we do to stop ourselves from judging people without really knowing them?

 (Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

In today’s gospel text Nathanael is a bit like you and me (if we are honest with ourselves).  Philip had an encounter with Jesus and had answered Jesus’ call to “follow me”.  Excited that Jesus was the Messiah of God, Philip shared the news with his friend Nathanael.  However when Philip shared that the Messiah was “Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth” (vs 45) Nathanael was not so sure.  In essence Nathanael responded by saying “Nazareth?  Really?  Can anything good come out of Nowheresville?  Son of Joseph, the carpenter?  Really?”

Nathanael’s sight was obscured by the expectation that the Messiah should come from an important city like Jerusalem and from an important family.  How else would the world take notice of this Messiah?  What kind of political power would Jesus have coming from such a small town?  But let’s give Nathanael some credit; when Philip invited him to “come and see” Nathanael went to see and meet Jesus.

What happened in verses 47-48 we can’t be sure.  Perhaps Nathanael was doing something under that fig tree that caused Jesus to say “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!”  Whatever happened, once Nathanael encounters Jesus, face to face, his opinion of Jesus and where Jesus came from changed radically.  Nathanael becomes the first disciple to recognize Jesus as the Child of God and King of Israel.

Inviting Nathanael to come and see Jesus for himself was the best thing Philip could have done. So often our misconceptions about people fade once we meet them and engage them.  It is in that relationship that we come to see people for who they really are and what their lives are really about.  As followers of Jesus we are called to welcome all people and treat them with compassion, mercy and love.  Further Jesus teaches us to lift up the downtrodden and let each person know that they are loved and valued by God.  This Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend is an appropriate time for us to remember and recommit ourselves to these specific teachings of Jesus.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever had your opinion of someone change once you met them face to face?  What happened?  What caused the change?
• Think about who invited you to come and see Jesus.  Was it your parents?   A friend?  Your Pastor?  How did they put out that invitation?  What happened when you heard the call to come and see?
• Has your experience of who Jesus is changed as you have grown in faith or read Scripture?  In what way?

Activity Suggestion

Think of someone you admire and google their name.  Where were they born?  What was their background growing up?  Share what you learn with others in your group.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, understanding Savior, send your Holy Spirit upon us that we may see others through your eyes and come to know them for whom they are called to be.  As your faithful disciples may we be lights to the nations inviting all we meet to come and see you and there to find acceptance, forgiveness and hope.  We ask this in your most holy name.  Amen.